The best holiday bargains as Brexit chaos leads to lower prices

‘I’ve never known an Easter like it. You usually get left with a few odds and sods but this year demand is really soft and there’s still loads to sell’

A weekend round-trip from Edinburgh to Cork for £36, or a proper package holiday to Mallorca for £205 are some of the deals being sold for departure on the original “Brexit Day”, 29 March.

Travel firms are cutting prices for the next few days and week as the Brexit chaos dampens consumer confidence and demand.

Ryanair, which has a policy of cutting prices to whatever level is necessary to fill its planes, is selling Friday afternoon and evening flights from the Scottish capital to Cork in southern Ireland for £36.

A choice of three outbound departures on 29 March, and two inbound flights on Sunday 31 March, are all available at the same price.

At this stage, only three days before departure, airlines would typically be raising fares to take advantage of late demand.

Tui, the UK’s biggest holiday company, is also reducing prices on Brexit day. It claims to have more than halved the price of a week in Mallorca, staying in an aparthotel in the pretty resort of Cala Bona, to £205 – including flights, luggage, transfers and accommodation.

Thomas Cook is selling a week from Birmingham to Lanzarote on 29 March for £234 per person, a trip which includes 3,500 miles of flying.

The UK is still officially set to leave the European Union at 11pm on Friday 29 March, with two further possible exit dates – 12 April without a deal, 22 May if Theresa May’s withdrawal agreement is passed – offered by the EU.

Ironically, even if by some accident the UK were to leave the European Union on 29 March, flights departing that day would be unaffected; British travellers are entitled to unrestricted entry to EU countries until the moment the UK leaves.

The fares and holiday prices on offer even during the school Easter holidays show a general reluctance to commit to short breaks and longer holidays.

One travel industry source, who did not want to be named, said: “I’ve never known an Easter like it. You usually get left with a few odds and sods but this year demand is really soft and there’s still loads to sell.”

On 12 April, when most schools are on holiday. Tui has a week’s holiday in Malta, flying from Manchester, including accommodation with breakfast, for £255 per person. The holiday firm says the normal price is £600 – though The Independent believes £400-£500 would be a more realistic cost.

Thomas Cook’s cheapest European Union deal on 12 April is a week in Tenerife, flying from Cardiff, for £360 per person.

City-breakers can take advantage of a return trip on Ryanair costing £87 from Prestwick in southwest Scotland to Barcelona, with good timings for a weekend away – early evening out on Friday 12 April, late evening back on Sunday 14 April.

Over Easter weekend, when demand is normally very strong, easyJet is offering a fare of £205 per person (based on two booking together) from Belfast to Venice – flying out on Good Friday, back on Easter Monday.

The budget airline has emailed passengers to calm any fears about flying after the UK leaves the European Union, saying: “Just in case you’re wondering if Brexit will affect your trip you can rest easy as we have it all covered.

“Regardless of the outcome of the ongoing Brexit debate we’ve been busy planning and will continue to fly as usual. So, all you need to do is concentrate on planning for your trip.”

One passenger who received the message said: “I’m wondering exactly what ‘it’ is, in the phrase ‘we have it all covered’?”

The airline is urging passengers to check whether their passport will still be valid for travel in the event of a no-deal Brexit.